Chhattisgarhi Gets Fresh Push for Eighth Schedule Inclusion After Seven-Decade Battle
Governor Raman Deka proposes an expert panel to advance language recognition bid
Raipur: After a decades-long battle to get national recognition, Chhattisgarhi language sees hope of being included in the Eighth Schedule of constitution with Chhattisgarh Governor Raman Deka indicating to constitute a committee of experts to make a thorough study on it to push the case with the Centre.
A team of linguists met the governor here and narrated how the Chhattisgarhi-speaking people have been demanding for including the language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution for the last seven decades.
“The linguists briefed the governor about the antiquity of Chhattisgarhi. Its rich literary tradition, grammar, dictionaries, and the process of standardization. The governor has proposed the constitution of a committee to advance the recognition efforts”, a spokesman of the Chhattisgarh government told this newspaper on Wednesday.
Chhattisgarhi is the official language and a major link language of the state and is spoken by nearly 1.5 crore people.
The proposed committee will systematically compile material related to the language’s history, literature, grammar, and dictionaries, along with other relevant references.
Scholars and subject experts will also be consulted for information and suggestions.
In this context, the governor cited the inclusion of Assamese and Bodo in the eighth schedule.
According to noted linguists, Dr. Chitaranjan Kar and Dr. Sudhir Sharma, Chhattisgarhi has a rich literary tradition dating back to 15th century.
The linguists informed the governor that a substantial body of work is available in various genres, including poetry, narrative poetry, short stories, novels, drama, literary criticism, and journalism.
The first grammar of Chhattisgarhi was prepared in 1890, while its first dictionary was compiled in 1939.
Pandit Sunderalal Sharma also published the handwritten Chhattisgarhi magazine titled ‘Dularwa’ from prison.
The linguists informed that Chhattisgarhi is taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in universities across the state.
Under the National Education Policy, the process of including the language in the curriculum for Classes 1 to 8 is also underway.